The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-13
RIGHTY.RIGHT YEARS OLD
AND STILL FULL OF LIFE, YIGOR
AND ENERGY.
This Is the Condition OF Ex-senator
SIron Cameron, the Boss Of
Pennsy lvania.

telegraphs that Gen. Simon Came
ron, who celebrated his SSth birth
day on yesterday, was not per-
mitted to take much rest today.
Many of his old friends aud admirers,
who were not able to pay their re-
spects yesterday, called on him to
congratulate him on his excellent
health and to chat with him about
important periods in his eventtul
lite. The callers very naturally spoke
of Mr.. Beecher's death and of the
Generals opinion of the great Ply
mouth pastor, as it appeared in to-
days Herald. The General is con-
siderab y older than Mr.. Beecher
was. Yet, after life of wonderful
experiences, he sits, hale and hearty
in his ripe old age, able to enjoy and
be enjoyed by all who know him.
Almost seventy years of his life have
been spent ia the glare and conflict
OF high public life. Yet his mind is
bright and active, his physical ener-
gies good and his disposition cheer
full. As early as 1920 Gen. Cameron
began dealing with politics aud poll
ticiaus. While he was yet a printer
in Washington he wrote a letter IA
voring John G. Calhoun Tor the Pres
idency, Later, he sat in the Senate
with the distinguished South Caro-
linian. He was Adjutaut General
and Public Printer OF p ennsylvania
before 1880, and bailt the canal from
Lake Ponchartraiu to New Orleans
in 1880 81, He projected nearly all
the lines of the present Pennsylva-
MIA system in the Keystone State,
aud built many of them. He was u
leader in the first national conven-
zion ever held for the nomination OF
a Presidential candidate in the
United States. This was in Balti-
more, and was feature OF the in-
trigues of Andrew Jackson to make
Martin Van Buren, Chief Executive
of the nation. 10 1915 Gen. Came
ron took his seat in the United
States Senate, and three times there
after was elected to that body. He
was Secretary of War aud Minister
to Russia in addition to all these
honors. No man in this country,
living or dead, has for as long a tune
handled political life with such a
powerful hand as this veteran. He,
like Mr.. Beecher, had the ad-
vantage of starting poor" and he
grew, like the other strong men of
the nation, from the humblest condi-
lions Of our primitive life.
Reviewing with your correspond
ent somewhat OF his eventful history
he said:
"Of all my experiences with pub
lie men and events none were so in
teresting as those which brought the
country to the settlement of the
slavery question on the field Of bat
tie. There was great deal of by
play in the beginning that has not
been heard of yet. 1t is true that
Gen. Robert Il. Lee was rendered
the command of the Union army. 1t
was the wish Of Mr.. Lincoln's admin
istration that as many as possible OF
the Southern officers then in the reg
ular army should remain true to the
nation which had educated them.
Robert e. Lee and Joseph Il. john
ston were then the leading Southern
soldiers. johnson was Quater-
master General and Lee a Colonel Of
cavalry.
"In the moves and counter moves
in the game of war and peace then
going on Francis f. Blair, ST., was a
prominent figure. The tender of the
command of our forces was made
to Gen. Lee through him. Mr.. Blair
came to me expressing the opinion
that Gen. Lee would be held to our
cause by the offer of the chief com
mand OF our forces. | authorized
Mr.. Blair to make the offer. | then
dismissed the matter from my mind
as nearly as | could such an import
ant subject, for ! supposed, from
what Mr.. Blair had said, that Gen.
Lee would accept. | labored under
this impression up to the time that
his resignation was received.
Whether Gen. Lee ever seriously
considered the matter | do not per-
soually know. From what Senator
Blair said to me, | never had any
doubt at the time but that he did.
My surprise was very great when the
resignation was received and Ger.
Lee went South.
In the movements of that sensi-
tive and tragic period there was
much to contend with. The Cabinet
which Mr.. Lincoln had formed was
full of cross purposes. 1t was trite
saying with Frank p. Blair, who
afterward became one Of the volun-
teer generals of our armies, that
Seward thought he could put down
the rebellion with the frankiDg
privilege, and that Chase regarded
the financial end of the government
as wholly responsible for the grave
duties before the nation. This was
in great measure true, for both of
them were cautious and well schooled
10 what was called the art of state
craft. They believed in the quiet
play of craftsmanship rather than in
the tragedy of the sword.
Mr.. Lincoln was the greatest
that the country has ever
seen. God made him President for
just such an emergency as this coun-
try was called upon to meet. All
of his administrative troubles were
caused by the fact that nearly halt of
his Cabinet looked upon him as an ac-
cident who was only to last four year.
At least three of his constitutional
advisers were from the beginning
shaping their course to succeed him
at the end Of bis first tern. Had
they sunk their ambitions in an
earnest support of him and his
policy the road would have been cas-
Ter. But war is always surrounded
by such conditions. Armed conflict
has its political sides none the less
important, many times, than oper-
atoms on the field. 1t was so with
Al = oa-I,, Iouo - AZ .-xaI.ba II